[!--quoteo(post=134494:date=Apr 10 2006, 02:50 PM:name=national acrobat)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(national acrobat @ Apr 10 2006, 02:50 PM) [snapback]134494[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]
I'm more worried about injuries up-front, especialy with Michael Owen still injured. If the Roon were to get injured, we really wouldn't have a chance at all. After those two, all we've got is Peter Crouch and Defoe - hardly up to the standard of Ronaldinho/Ronaldo/Adriano/Kaka etc.
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[!--quoteo(post=134501:date=Apr 10 2006, 05:09 PM:name=dogigniter)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(dogigniter @ Apr 10 2006, 05:09 PM) [snapback]134501[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]
Paul Robinson will be fine, I'm with National Acrobat that the most worrying problem is that of Owen and making sure everyone else stays fit
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I take your point about the forwards, but 'keeper wise - an injured Robinson could put James in goal. An almost capable 'keeper but makes way too many blunders. [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/sad.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\"\" border=\"0\" alt=\"sad.gif\" /]
I'm sure Owen will make the finals and all will be OK with Rooney and him up front. Rooney is also starting to calm down a bit also (good sign). I believe it has been said before, but our starting 11 is as good as anyone else, its the bench. Saying that, should Bent go ahead of Defoe?

[!--quoteo(post=134499:date=Apr 10 2006, 05:02 PM:name=Conor)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Conor @ Apr 10 2006, 05:02 PM) [snapback]134499[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]
The South Americans are just way overrated [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/wink.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\"\" border=\"0\" alt=\"wink.gif\" /]
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There is some truth in that, but I'm not so sure about Crouch been better than Ronaldo. Or are we just in awe of him as he is a World Cup winner. [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/happy.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\"^_^\" border=\"0\" alt=\"happy.gif\" /]

True, Ronaldo is not nearly as good as he used to be, especially in his performances for Real Madrid this season. However, he strikes me as one of these players who plays a lot better for his country than his club. Rather like Milan Baros, who always plays brilliantly for Czech Republic, but his club form for Liverpool and Aston Villa has been indifferent to say the least.

Bit of deja-vu here. Around 15 seasons ago, Southend topped this league (3rd division back then) by miles (bookies stopped taking bets on them getting promotion). Towards the close of the season they started dropping way too many points and ended up getting promoted by a hairs breadth. Is it happening over again? (Although Gillingham are a bit of a form team at present).

Southend could have secured promotion from this league (for only the second time in their history) this weekend.

Right, off I go again. QPR without a win in 9 games now. Yesterday's defeat was the most disappointing of the bunch though, 2-0 up against Norwich with 15 minutes to go, but naturally QPR go on to lose 3-2. I don't know how they do it!

More worrying is our manager situation, with no-one surely wanting the position except caretaker-manager Gary Waddock, and as he's shown over the past couple of months, he's clearly not up to the job. Bring back Ian Holloway and brilliant post-match comments.

As a tribute to the great Ian Holloway, I shall now include a selection of my favourite 'Ollyisms': [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/biggrin.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\"\" border=\"0\" alt=\"biggrin.gif\" /]

When asked how much he earned as a player, compared to Rooney
"Not enough to go to brothels" ::

On dreams of the club reaching the top of the Premiership
"Yeh and I'm six foot four with the biggest willy in the world"

On the cancelled scouting trip to Brazil
"That's been put on ice. I've lost my passport too. If anyone's seen it I'd like it back, it's not Golem in there, I look minging"

On going through a poor run of form
"I feel so unlucky at the moment, if I fell into a barrow of boobs I'd come out sucking my thumb"

On the reporter who asked Danny Shittu if he'd like to play for a Premiership club
"Whoever that was, I'd like to pull his pants down and slap him on the arse like I used to do to my kids. Apparently I'm not even allowed to do that any more otherwise I'll have the health and safety on to me giving it the old 'hello'."

After the "ugly" win against Chesterfield
"To put it in gentleman’s terms if you’ve been out for a night and you’re looking for a young lady and you pull one, some weeks they’re good looking and some weeks they’re not the best. Our performance today would have been not the best looking bird but at least we got her in the taxi. She weren’t the best looking lady we ended up taking home but she was very pleasant and very nice, so thanks very much lets have a coffee"

On the abuse Gino Padula gets from away fans
"Everyone calls him a gypsy but I can assure you he doesn't live in a caravan. He has a house with foundations"

When asked if Thorpe's chance at Bristol City had gone in....
"If is a big word, if I had long hair I could be a rock star"

On the dodgy linesman away at Bristol City:
“It was lucky that the linesman wasn't stood in front of me as I would have poked him with a stick to make sure he was awake!”

What do you guys think of Romania's Steaua going as far as the semi-finals (and very likely finals) of the UEFA Cup? Do you think they're gonna win the Super Cup with Arsenal or Barcelona (lArsenal's already qualified, and I bet Barca is going on to)?

Overall, football is so unpredictable these days that I wouldn't take anything for granted, AC Milan may get through to the final, Middlesborough may beat Steau and Manchester United may win the Premiership. (Okay that last one was a joke) [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/tongue.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\"\" border=\"0\" alt=\"tongue.gif\" /]

If reports are to be believed, Luiz Felipe Scolari has been offered the job as new England coach. For what it's worth, in my opinion this is a good move by the FA and glad they didn't buckle to some factions who insisted on an English man to do the job no matter what. The guy is a proven winner.

I just only hope we don't get massive ego clashes in the dressing room. And he learns a bit of English [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/wink.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\"\" border=\"0\" alt=\"wink.gif\" /]

[!--quoteo(post=135694:date=Apr 27 2006, 09:28 AM:name=Albie)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Albie @ Apr 27 2006, 09:28 AM) [snapback]135694[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]
If reports are to be believed, Luiz Felipe Scolari has been offered the job as new England coach. For what it's worth, in my opinion this is a good move by the FA and glad they didn't buckle to some factions who insisted on an English man to do the job no matter what. The guy is a proven winner.

I just only hope we don't get massive ego clashes in the dressing room. And he learns a bit of English [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/wink.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\"\" border=\"0\" alt=\"wink.gif\" /]
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Yeah, if he does get the job I'll be satisfied. People were getting so carried away with the fact that they wanted an Englishman that they'd have been happy with someone clearly not up to the job - McClaren and Allardyce just aren't good enough in my opinion. Having said that, I really wanted Martin O'Neill to be the next English manager, but Scolari, as you say, has a brilliant record at international level.

[!--quoteo(post=135696:date=Apr 27 2006, 11:33 AM:name=national acrobat)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(national acrobat @ Apr 27 2006, 11:33 AM) [snapback]135696[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]
Having said that, I really wanted Martin O'Neill to be the next English manager, but Scolari, as you say, has a brilliant record at international level.
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O'Neill would have been a good choice and it may have suited him to take on a not such a full time footballing job.

You're right about Maclaren and Allardyce, but these guys need to manage a big club and have success in the Champions League (not necessarily win it) and/or make their team a serious Premiership title contender before they can be considered.

[!--quoteo(post=135696:date=Apr 27 2006, 11:33 AM:name=national acrobat)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(national acrobat @ Apr 27 2006, 11:33 AM) [snapback]135696[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]
Yeah, if he does get the job I'll be satisfied. People were getting so carried away with the fact that they wanted an Englishman that they'd have been happy with someone clearly not up to the job - McClaren and Allardyce just aren't good enough in my opinion. Having said that, I really wanted Martin O'Neill to be the next English manager, but Scolari, as you say, has a brilliant record at international level.
[/quote]Are you implying Martin O'Neill is English? :: Blasphemy ::
It looks like Scolari will get the job but I think he's overrated anyway, he's not as good as Sven IMO [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/sleep.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\"\" border=\"0\" alt=\"sleep.gif\" /]

Obviously it would be nice for a British person to get the job but lets face it, there are far worse choices than Scolari so I'm resonably happy if indeed he signs on the dotted line after the World Cup.

They did the same thing in their quarter final tie, they deserve to win the final now, no doubt about it. NA was exactly right in his prediction aswell [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/cool.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\"\" border=\"0\" alt=\"cool.gif\" /]

Bloody Hell! :: I mean, there we were, leading 0-2 in the 25th minute... and it all went downhill from there...

Still, Steaua didn't deserve to go to the final playing the way they did in the 2nd half... But you have to admit that the referee didn't give us a legit penalty shot in the over-time... [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/dry.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\"\" border=\"0\" alt=\"dry.gif\" /]

[!--quoteo(post=135656:date=Apr 26 2006, 07:06 PM:name=national acrobat)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(national acrobat @ Apr 26 2006, 07:06 PM) [snapback]135656[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]
Well it's only 1-0 from the first leg, isn't it? Boro came back from more in the last leg, and I reckon they'll go through tomorrow too. Massimo Maccarone to score again!
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[!--quoteo(post=135738:date=Apr 27 2006, 10:25 PM:name=Conor)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Conor @ Apr 27 2006, 10:25 PM) [snapback]135738[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]
They did the same thing in their quarter final tie, they deserve to win the final now, no doubt about it. NA was exactly right in his prediction aswell [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/cool.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\"\" border=\"0\" alt=\"cool.gif\" /]
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What can I say? [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/biggrin.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\"\" border=\"0\" alt=\"biggrin.gif\" /]